Displays for tradeshows are generally structures that can be transported, erected on a convention or show floor for a brief period of show time, then disassembled, transported and stored until the next usage. Such displays can be massive complex multi-story structures or simple single banner displays. The massive displays are typically constructed of metal trusses, metal box frames, and large diameter (greater than two ½ inches) metal tubing providing great flexibility in varying designs and offering many accessories such as shelving, lighting, literature racks, and flat panel electronic displays. Such large displays often require crates to store and transport and require trained crews several hours or more to erect. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 7,024,834 assigned to Skyline Displays, Inc., the owner of this application, illustrating such displays and U.S. Pat. No. 6,951,283 illustrating a crate and such displays, which are hereby incorporated by reference.
A common simpler tradeshow display comprises a bundled network of interconnected support rods that expands into a volumetrically substantial three-dimensional space. Such expanded structures are then covered with sheet material capable of supporting graphics on the material. Such structures typically have a curved foot print providing an attractive smooth curved surface for the graphics. Such displays may also have vertical supports that may be utilized for supporting shelving and other accessories. The curved footprint effectively provides stability and allows for the attachment of shelves and other appurtenances such as lighting. Such displays can be seen, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,829,869 and 4,658,560 assigned to Skyline Displays, Inc., said patents incorporated herein by reference. These displays are often called “pop-up displays.”
Many tradeshow displays also include curved end panels. Collapsible tradeshow displays such as illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 6,829,869, and U.S. Patent Publication 2008/0155873, both incorporated by reference, illustrate the curved end panels on collapsible displays. Such end panels are inherently resilient and seek to return to a flat planar shape when positioned in the curved shape as when they are wrapped around the end of a display framework. Such resiliency causes difficulty in attachment and can result in dramatic disengagement from the framework when inadvertently bumped. Such dramatic disengagement results from the tendency of the panels to snap back to a flat shape upon disengagement from the frame. Means, such as illustrated in 2008/0155873, may be utilized to more securely attach the vertical margins of the end panels to minimize the “dramatic disengagement” but difficulty in attaching the panels still remain. A more robust system would be desirable that allows for easy attachment during the display erection and does not present the potential of the dramatic disengagement.
The graphic displays for the panels of such collapsible displays are conventionally formed of polycarbonate sheets with the graphics media bonded to the polycarbonate sheets. The front panels and side panels are typically formed of slightly different thicknesses of the polycarbonate sheets due to the fact that the end panels need to be more flexible than the front non or minimally curved panels. During the manufacture of the graphics panels there can be differential shrinkage of the sheets with differing thicknesses. This can cause misalignment of graphics between the front panels and curved end panels. Moreover the different thicknesses can have differing light transmission characteristics whereby, particularly for back lit displays, differing levels of illuminations are presented which is undesirable. It would be desirable to be able to utilize the same polycarbonate sheet material for both the curved end panel and the front panels.